I have an awesome Dukkah Chicken recipe on my site, so I wanted to share a recipe for how to make a pistachio dukkah at home.
Dukkah is an Egyptian seasoning mix that is absolutely delicious and has so many uses! So I hope you get a chance to make dukkah from scratch if you can't find it in stores.
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What is dukkah?
Dukkah (sometimes spelled Duqqa) is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern seasoning / spice mix, typically made with a base of crushed nuts, dried herbs, and spices. There are many variations of dukkah, ones made with hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc., each with different combinations of spices, such as coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, marjoram, salt, and pepper.
This version of dukkah is made primarily with pistachios and a little bit of almonds thrown in there. It gets its flavor from toasted coriander and cumin seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, sumac, salt, and peppercorns.
The ingredients are toasted to bring out their flavor, then crushed together to combine them. This dukkah is just slightly seasoned with salt so that the salt enhances the flavor of the spices, but the salt is not overpowering and you'll be able to add more as needed for other recipes.
If you've never cooked with dukkah, I really hope you give this dukkah recipe a try!
More flavorful dishes with Middle eastern seasonings: Za'atar Roasted Potatoes
How to use dukkah
Traditionally, dukkah is combine with olive oil and used as a dip for a baguette or pita. The toasted seeds and nuts in dukkah go so well with creamy olive oil and bread.
However, dukkah can be used as a seasoning in many recipes, such as:
- Dukkah crusted chicken breast.
- Dukkah tilapia or salmon.
- Add some to homemade hummus.
- It can be tossed with roasted young potatoes as soon as they come out of the oven, so the heat of the potatoes brings out the nutty fragrance of dukkah.
- Sprinkle dukkah over salad or stir into salad dressing.
- Sprinkle some on avocado toast or cottage cheese toast.
- It's delicious over over-easy fried eggs.
There are a bunch of ways to use up dukkah seasoning once you make a batch, so give it a try!
Ingredients
- ½ cup shelled pistachios (pistachios removed from the shells), make sure to get unsalted ones, or consider reducing the salt in this recipe. The pistachios can be roasted or unroasted, doesn't matter.
- ¼ cup almonds, raw if you can find them, but toasted is OK too
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds - this is one of my FAVORITE seasonings ever!
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds - I love the smokiness of cumin!
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, white - these are so delicious when toasted in a pan!
- 1 teaspoon whole black or white peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt (or use any salt you like if you don't have coarse)
- ½ teaspoon ground sumac - sumac is a wonderful lemony-flavored seasoning
More homemade seasoning mixes: Sriracha Salt
Tools for this recipe
Aside from measuring cups and spoons, you'll need these things to make dukkah:
- Medium skillet (such as a cast iron) - you'll use this to toast the ingredients to bring out their flavor
- Something to grind the ingredients together with, such as a mortar and pestle, a spice grinder, a spice grinder, or a washable coffee/spice grinder (or a coffee grinder dedicated to spices). You don't want to use a coffee grinder that cannot go in the water because the smell of the spices will linger and get into your coffee. If using a spice grinder, you don't want to use anything too small since this recipe makes about a cup total.
More recipes using seasoning mixes: Cucumber Salad with Everything Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
In a skillet, toast the pistachios and almonds over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until they smell fragrant, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, and peppercorns to the pan and toast until they are browned and fragrant. Transfer to the bowl with the nuts and allow to cool completely.
Add all the toasted ingredients, salt, and sumac to your grinder of choice. Grind until you have a coarse powder. Store in a jar in a cool and dry spot.
Recipe notes and tips
→ Start with the freshest possible nuts and spices to make dukkah. Nuts can go rancid with time, so if you're using older nuts that have been sitting in your pantry for a while, you might find that your dukkah doesn't smell so fresh after just a little bit of time.
→ Experiment with different seasoning ratios! Dry different nuts! Adjust everything to your tastes.
Can you use pre-ground spices to make dukkah?
Freshly ground spices have a lot more flavor and aroma when they are ground, compared to store-bought ground spices that have been sitting around for a few months (or let's be honest—a few years). So freshly ground spices are a much better choice than pre-ground spices.
BUT! If you have some coriander or cumin that is already ground that you want to use up, go ahead and use that. Don't toast them because they will burn quicker. The other ingredients for this dukkah will be freshly ground and freshly toasted, so they'll provide plenty of flavor.
How to store dukkah
Store dukkah in a sealed jar in a cool, dry spot in your kitchen (so this means keep it away from the stove). Try to store it in a small jar so there is less air in the jar. This will help keep it longer. I sometimes save a seasoning jar, wash it out, dry it, and then use it for homemade dukkah mixes (and other homemade spice mixtures).
If you want to prolong the freshness of dukkah, keep it refrigerated. It might get a little clumped up just because any moisture in the dukkah will condense a little in the fridge, but you can give it a stir before using it.
How long will dukkah last?
All the ingredients in dukkah are shelf-stable, so technically the mixture should last as long as the latest expiration date on the ingredients. However, since they were ground, they'll slowly be releasing flavor and losing strength with time. I try to finish a batch of dukkah within 2-3 months of making it, or storing it in the fridge if we didn't finish it within that time.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Pistachio Dukkah
Ingredients
- ½ cup shelled pistachios - (removed from the shells) if they are salted, reduce the salt below
- ¼ cup almonds - raw if you can find them, but toasted is OK too
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds - white
- 1 teaspoon whole black or white peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt - (or use any salt you like)
- ½ teaspoon sumac - ground
Special equipment
- Medium skillet to toast the ingredients
Instructions
- In a skillet, toast the pistachios and almonds over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until they smell fragrant, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, and peppercorns to the pan and toast until they are browned and fragrant. Transfer to the bowl with the nuts and allow to cool completely.
- Add all the toasted ingredients, salt, and sumac to your grinder of choice. Make a coarse powder. Store in a jar in a cool and dry spot.
- Don't forget to rate this recipe and save it for later on Pinterest!
Notes
- Add dukkah to olive oil in a small bowl and use as a dip fresh warm bread or pita.
- Add dukkah to hummus.
- Make dukkah chicken, or use dukkah crusted salmon.
- Sprinkle it on salads, avocado toast, or savory cottage cheese bowls.
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.